He added that Roof’s father gave him a .45-caliber pistol for his birthday this year.

It was claimed this afternoon the suspected gunman said "I have to do it" before killing nine people inside a church, a survivor revealed.

The female survivor of the Charleston church shooting said she had been allowed to live because the gunman wanted her to tell people what happened.

The woman - who has not been identified - also told how the gunman spoke to her before he launched his killing spree.

Fox News reports that Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of Pastor Clementa Pinckney who was killed in the shooting, spoke to one of the survivors and revealed what she had said.

"She said that he had reloaded five different times… and he just said ‘I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country and you have to go."

A Charleston police officer walks past the entrance of the church (Image: Reuters)

Nine people were shot dead after a white man opened fire in an African-American church last night.

It emerged this afternoon he had sat with his victims for an hour before opening fire.

The chilling details of the killings emerged as police warned the man was still on the run and should not be approached by the public.

Police later released his image as they desperately searched for the gunman.

Eight victims were found dead in the church, Chief Gregory Mullen told reporters at a media conference, and a ninth person died after being taken to a hospital.

One other person was wounded and receiving treatment following the shocking incident in Charleston, South Carolina.

Mullen said: "It is unfathomable that somebody in today's society would walk into a church when people are having a prayer meeting and take their lives."

But the Reverend Al Sharpton, the New York-based civil rights leader, said in a Tweet that the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the church's pastor and a member of the state Senate, was among the fatalities.

Mr Pinckney was a 41-year-old state senator, married and a father of two.

The shooting occurred at the Emanuel AME Church in the historic centre of downtown Charleston around 9pm local time (1am GMT), according to Charleston Police Department spokesman Charles Francis.

After the shooting, a bomb threat was reported near the church, Charleston County Sheriff's Office spokesman Eric Watson said, and people who were gathered in the area were told by police to move back.

Chief Mullen told the press conference that the all-clear had been given after checks following the bomb threat.

A police chaplain was present at the scene of the shooting, and a helicopter with a searchlight hovered overhead as officers combed through the area.

"We pray for the families, they've got a long road ahead of them," Reverend James Johnson, a local civil rights activist, said during the impromptu prayer service.

Police took a man with a backpack and a camera into custody, but later said they were still searching for a suspect in the shooting.

Following the attack on the church, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, canceled an appearance in Charleston that had been scheduled for Thursday morning.

"Governor Bush's thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families affected by this tragedy," his campaign team said in a statement.

The website for the church said it has one of the largest and oldest black congregations in the south. It has its roots in the early 19th century, and the current building was built in 1891.

It is considered a historically significant building, according to the National Park Service.

Question -1 of 5Score -0 of 0

What is the correct answer to this kid's puzzle that has gone viral after it left adults stumped

Digit decision: Five of the spaces feature numbers, and the sixth has a car in it obscuring the number (Image: Twitter)